SCOPE
Hydrogen production
Maturity Level
TRL 4
Development Level
Prototype
Alcohol reformer with catalytic membrane reactor with control system
Entity:
A laboratory-scale pilot plant of a water-alcohol mixture reformer has been developed to produce hydrogen from catalytic reactions. Hydrogen production is carried out in a catalytic membrane reactor equipped with Pd-Ag metal membranes, which produces and purifies hydrogen in a single unit operation.
From the experimental results obtained under real operating conditions, it has been possible to develop predictive models of the behaviour of the catalytic membrane reactor, which has enabled us to implement a Proportional Integral (PI) controller in order to control very carefully and robustly the hydrogen production setpoint set from the computer control panel of the reformer.
Challenges met
On-site hydrogen production in a controlled manner from the controlled introduction of water/methanol mixture flows inside the catalytic membrane reactor (core of the process), obtaining a 100% pure hydrogen flow with which we can feed a fuel cell, with a sustained operation of the system.
Very robust response of the developed software, compatible with the demand of a fuel cell stack that could power a vehicle. The prototype simplifies on-site production in vehicles, where it was necessary to couple multiple catalytic reactors after the catalytic reforming reactor for hydrogen purification from preferential CO oxidation reactions, which added greater complexity to the designed systems.
Scope of application
May have interest in the hydrogen production sector – energy industry, with applications in energy storage and hydrogen vehicles. Steam reforming of methanol is a process of significant interest to the automotive industry.
Main publications
- A. Cifuentes, L. Soler, R. Torres, J. Llorca. Methanol steam reforming over PdZn/ZnAl2O4/Al2O3 in a catalytic membrane reactor: An experimental and modelling study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2022, 47, 11574-11578.
- A. Cifuentes, M. Serra, R. Torres, J. Llorca. Experimental Control of a Methanol Catalytic Membrane Reformer. Reactions 2023, 4, 702–712
Related projects
- HYNTERCAT. Ref. PID2021-124572OB-C31. Title: Hydrogen energy technologies driven by amorphous/crystalline catalyst interface engineering. Funding entity: MICINN. Principal researchers: Lluís Soler and Jordi Llorca
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